A smear of Orange
by HiroAkemi
Summary: Seeing in black and white wasn't so bad; at least then the world was just one big place of emptiness. The whole thing lonely where everyone could feel like him; but when a smudge of colour appears where black and white dominate how is he supposed to act?
1. Kohona

**Disclaimer: **I have always wondered if there was a point to these things. I am obviously not making any money off of this story. I do not own Naruto. I do own the plot.

**Summary:** Seeing in black and white wasn't so bad; at least then the world was just one big place of emptiness. The whole thing lonely where everyone could feel like him; but when a smudge of colour appears where black and white dominate how is he supposed to act? Sullen by a smear of ignorance, defiant; plain, bright, displaced orange.

**Content:** Stuff unsuitable for children.

**A/N:_ some of these lyrics may or may not be entirely right. Lyrics used are from GazettE: Filth in Beauty_**

* * *

**"_A smear of Orange._"  
**

_Thoughts / Sarcasm_

Words

"Speech"

* * *

**Written to:  
Frustration  
Lina Morgana : My Angel [RIP]**

**_"_**_Telling me to go, but hands beg me to stay. Your lips say that you love, your eyes say that you hate**."**_

* * *

_Been wearing the mask to hide what's true  
under_ _shades of glass there's black and blue_

There were many years, many times; many seconds that ticked by within a world that seemed to spin on its axis with ignorant resolution. Making itself known that it no longer cared for its inhabitants or their pitiful problems. Instead, it simply existed. Its body ravaged and abused by selfish creatures. Constantly taken for granted and used for the whims of the greedy, the lustful, and upon the speculation of malicious refinement.

This world ravaged by the carelessness of others, a world constantly being taken for granted by its inhabitants; the ancient skies could do nothing more than watch on as the many decades, many millennia passed by. All the while its grieving heart ever so present and bared for all to see by the constant changing in the seasons. But it is not this neglected world we focus our attention on or the whole of this story upon; but instead a series of specific and purposed events that had taken place during the extent of man's midlife crisis.

* * *

_The time has come to dig the grave  
to_ _bury a heart that just can't be saved_

Pale, almost lifeless like fingers lifted upon its master's command, the tips of the delicate digits pressing against the crushed velvet of a crimson curtain. The deafening ticking and tocking of a clock was all their master could hear, deaf to everything but this single sound.

_Tick Tock Tick Tock_

This constant sound would have perhaps have been an annoyance to anyone, but not to this person. No, it was a comforting sound much like the coos of a mother to her frighten child; it soothed him in a way that he could not explain. Eyes, almost as lifeless as the skin that stretched over thin hands stared out, their hue dull and stoic; the shade of coal that had yet to be mined. There was an endless darkness beneath those emotionless eyes as they stared on at the growing crowd but in this action had never really saw. Behind those stoic eyes, behind that lifeless shade an earthen coal was a mind in constant work. Churning, thinking, forming statements, and facts; a vast library of knowledge had been stored behind that emotionless facade working day in and day out to appease its master.

The seconds that seemed to fly by him caused him to begin to think more and more with the constant ticking and tocking of the clock; its sound had begun luring him into a trance like state. As he began to reflect upon things in his life, the things he had wish to change, and even upon seconds in whom he yarned back. In which he may have taken alternate routes, made alternate choices in efforts to change what he wanted; change who he was, what he was, and the way he had become.

There were times within the years of his life that he would catch himself wishing upon frightful stars with fleeting trails, exhausting his mind with the hope that he could just once go back and fix everything. It would be so much easier for him in this life if he could fix his problems, change the way things turned out, and even to fix the way he felt inside.

Beyond the soft crushed velvet curtains was a world he could not understand, a life he could never lead or even fathom a reason for its existence. From behind the crimson crushed velvet was life he had come to know, strived to achieve but in the end had come to rue. Yet, without protest he would return again, every few days, ever few nights. As if his body was possessed by some unknown demon a force that seemed to controlled his very will forcing him to return each time to the life he had come to regret. Standing in this very same spot, repeating his very same thoughts; reliving his exact feelings and actions from days and days before. Over and over it became a repetitive game of ping pong and no matter how much he wanted to leave these days abandoned, he could not for he had obligation.

Living this life and doing these shows, even watching these people and singing those same songs over again was the life he had come to know. A repetitive game that always reared its ugly head as the players came face to face. As his thoughts began to drive on he compared it to the repetitive banging of a hammer to a nail, struck more and more into him thoughts, regrets, and feelings of despair deeper and deeper into his soul.

He was a pitiful man.

Pleasuring the crowds was all he was good for, his eyes to see but never to bathe in the colours of life; his heart to lay dormant in the depths of his soul that seemed to drown in an ocean of self pity. How they had taken for granted the lives they once had, the feelings they once possessed, touches, sounds, sights. He hated them, hated them all on the outside; the more they neglected the world he had yarned to belong to the more he despised them. A smiling face that became merely a mask for the emptiness within his heart; how could they not see its forced curvature? He would never understand this, this blatant ignorance towards another.

It had not always been this way though.

Somewhere between the hollowed verses and reiterated chords he lost his ideals, his kindness, and his ability to trust. The world of fame that they dipped their feet into was a world of power that they had not been ready for. It sunk its teeth into their necks and began to suck. To claim all they possessed. Their looks and their pride leaving them alone with no one but themselves and yet, fame was always there; its cold fingers enveloping their bodies.

He let loose a heavy breath, the deep sigh shaking him to his very core only to leave him void, much like the feeling he'd get when leaving the stage after a decent set.

The stage…

The stage always felt cold to him, a reminder of the barrier between him and the outside world and of the only comfort allowed to him; the emptiness within his heart. There was something missing, something he felt the urge to find; to see. He had always known, however; that he was never to be allowed to handle such luxuries.

There is a saying, or rather a popular reference, "We're all beautiful on the inside." He was sure that if one looked inside of him it would be black. A thick slimy-sludge created to cover every inch and fiber of his inner being; clogging him with its lifeless and vile feelings.

Darkness.

There was always darkness.

Like a blind man fumbling around in the stark of the night he would search the cold recesses of his heart and of the world that had been laid before him. His heart wailed in the nothingness, wanting to be something. Pleas to simply feel left him echoing the distant walls hoping that he might have been given the gift of sight if even for but a moment.

If one really thought about it they would realize that he was merely a sad character within a broken story, cold and distant without a breath of real life within him. Nothing in this world would allow him to see through his eyes that seemed to be only clouded. Vision tainted where he was alone and where there was no colour in his world; there was never any colour. Just a void that continued to consume him; eating away at his flesh and at his innards.

Twin coal hues with lifeless bottoms stared outwardly with dull attitude; the screaming fans seemed to move as if in slow motion, their mouths opened but no sound to really speak of reached his ears. He felt like the reader, the people were merely characters in another story, blissfully unaware of watching eyes as they read each line of their story. His eyes rolled in their sockets, a sign of exasperation and annoyance; women were completely and utterly disgusting. The man scoffed, his eyes closing to block out such shallow and self absorbent creatures.

There was a heavy thickness within the air, his lips forming what seemed to be a permanent scowl as he watched on at the crowds growing anticipation. The more people that filed into the building the more this feeling pestered him in the pit of his gut, something was going to happen; he was just unsure as to what.

Turning around he let coal eyes rest upon his band mates, a drummer, two guitarists, a bassist… and himself. A band just like any other; so why were they so famous? Carefully he watched them as they continued to set up and check their instruments; a band consisting of five members.

His hand loosened its grip around the curtain's soft texture dropping to his side listlessly. Silently he wished he could quit this life, quit this path but things in life just were not as simple as it sounded. He took another deep and heavy sigh before letting his trademark masked smile replace his previously frowning face. He watched his band mate's work; a faint smile upon his lips but not one out of pleasure or happiness like it may have seemed from a distance; it was intended to keep up appearances. He was analyzing them again in his silent cognition, picking out each difference in one and distinguishing it from the other.

Nara Shikamaru, their bassist; he was a tall guy, a bit quiet for the most part and always off somewhere. He was a very calculating character but he was most certainly not a lazy one; his intelligence and maturity were beyond his years but something he would never let on to.

Inuzuka Kiba, their drummer; he was actually quite hyper but not in an annoying way. He was very energetic and always knew how to get everyone pumped. He was smart but sometime's he lacked the common sense of a regular person, a flaw that was rarely shown but widely known.

Aburame Shino, their lead guitarist, he was rather silent and only spoke when it mattered; when he did it was with only precise words. He actually could not recall a moment where he had ever heard the man speak without good reason. Ironically, though he was very silent he was one of the more outgoing characters of their group and just so happened to be willing to try just about anything. He could even keep in par with Kiba's unnatural sense of energy.

Akimichi Choji, their Rhythmic guitarist and most certainly the reason this band existed. It was originally his idea to start the band, their tiny garage dreams having kicked off somewhere between their first sparks of creativity and the lost of their muse. Then there was him, Akemi Sai; the lead vocalist of one of the hottest bands in Japanese culture who was not only known for his voice but for his _wonderfully_ good looks.

Over the years but even in the beginning, they had become sort of an odd, mitch-match group yet still fit together well. Like puzzle pieces they completed each other and filled in the gaps. The music they had begun to produce under the authority of their record label had become relatively plain and sometimes it was hard to understand why people liked it. Chalking it up to mindless dribble he related the fans as the drones and yet, it bugged him. A nagging at the back of his mind, they could do better than this yet they were doing nothing to change it.

They no longer seemed as themselves but instead what the mainstream world wanted them to be, having lost their way it was a silent but mutual agreement amongst them that they had forgotten that time as boys when they just played for their dreams. The lyrics of their songs were as bland as meat with no seasoning, lyrics that had something left to be desired. The verses not giving fully on what they were supposed to and always they were left with the feeling that something could have been better, something revised, removed, changed.

It was not until that day that their manager, Kakashi, had suggested bringing a in a song writer that they could see a way to escape. The idea of replacing the terrible writers they had now was like a Christmas in July, very welcomed in every aspect but Sai still had his doubts.

Could they find someone to put the spice and the meaning their work lacked back into it?

Sai could only reflect and note that it was not until that moment that his problems seemed to have start and this growing angst filled his gut. He denied them needing help and declined the man's offer and in retaliation Kakashi jokingly pointed out that Sai needed to find his heart and show some real emotions for once because the music they had now was lifeless. Sai only replied with a scoff and called the man a dick-less buffoon. No surprise there, this was typical of him.

After that day they had started putting up ads and advertising for such a person word spread like wild fire. There seemed to be plenty of people that were just begging to write for them, but all were denied. Their work seemed shallow and lacked an intensity of their desire or the seemed only in it for money. There were even plenty of people that wanted to use the band to gain their own fame and plenty of people who wanted use the job as an excuse to get close to the band, or a specific member.

Each one was dolefully turned down one after the next and it started to seem as if no one could step up to fill that void in the bands career. Though no fault of their own, no one could reach the standards set so high by Sai and the pressure was setting in. They were almost forced into having to settle on some particular nobody with lackluster work and a creepy persona; well that was of course, until Kakashi used his sneaky ways to suggest his son, adopted, but still gifted.

Night captured in his hues as he turned them back upon the crowd beyond the curtain and then proceeded to walk from behind it His making his way across the stage at his own pace. Countless fans girls and very rarely boys; began screaming as he flipped his hand through his hair and gave his trademark façade of a fake smile. _Idiots._

He eyed the crowd with mildly amused eyes scanning the faces; even thinking he almost caught sight of a couple of woman who fainted. Shino must have seen the same thing because he just shook his head in a condescending way towards the crowd and laughed, barely. Sai looked up as the lights began to dim, a hand lifting to his face before freezing in mid air as he caught something out of the corner of his eyes.

Bright. It was brighter than the lights; it was a smear upon the membrane of the dark world. A smudge that did not belong... it was ignorance playing within his world of black and white. He felt a strong need to ignore it; to deny its very existence as his body took stance behind the length of the microphone as the wild crowd became a bit silent. The band started up in a light, almost pop like sound, the music filtering from the speakers as the backup singers off to the side of the drums began to sing in tune together.

_The reverse side of beauty  
In time it will be of the filth  
: Sai murmurs: Don't let that side of the beauty get you filthy here.  
: Sexual disgrace:  
The reverse side of beauty In time it will be of the filth  
Ohhh woah Ohoh, yea~_

Though he tried his hardest to ignore it Sai's eyes never left that ignorant smear of displaced orange, he couldn't make out if it was a male or female, but to him... it did not make a difference. As soon as he had captured the determination of that ignorant piece of colour a determination of his own grew within. He wanted to dominate that colour and extinguish it for even though he craved escape he would never allow his world to be violated in such a way.

It was over for that person, over for him; he would do anything and everything to have that color for his own. To rip it from the world, to claim it with his own bare hands and hide it existence from everyone but him. To be selfish and cage up that beautiful of colour was now his intended goal.

The band grew heavy when the musical flow turned into what was now a hard rock sound filtering forth, Sai began to bob his head lightly to it as he had always done.

Both hands lifted placing themselves on the microphone, he let his eyes close for that moment between the heat of the music and lyrics he'd need to sing. He let out a soft breath before he breathed in, the heavy music turning soft again. He let his lips part and a voice deep, but sensual flowed forth and tickled the ears of any within range. His lifeless coal eyes opened burning with the image of ignorance, of that colour; of orange.

Genwaku no umi shizun da hotaru  
hitei ha yokkyuu jou no uso  
mujun de somaru taion  
risei koumuru aibu ni  
odori tokekomu haru (shun) ha fui ni  
kegarawashiiku?  
My mind which falls

Sai finished the beginning part of the lyrics as the music got heavier and then Choji and Shino both simultaneously yelled 'wait' before Sai would continue with the songs beginning chorus. Sai's English wasn't all that great but it was good enough for him to speak it within his songs.

: Wait: Your seed and my seed never mixes.  
: Wait: The connection of this blood is eternal  
: Wait: You cannot finish suppressing the desire  
: Wait: To true daughter...

The women could be heard faintly in the back ground through the chorus before they would simultaneously sing the next two words. Sai's eyes never left the smudge as it had begun to move through the crowds, unable to tear his eyes away from its brilliance. The bright attitude blinding him as he began to feel sick under the heated lights, his parts coming up soon again, some screamed and some simply just sung.

_: Sexual disgrace:_

Toiki fusagu myakuutsu 'ue' ha  
wakari ae nu guren (guren) o motomu

Closet mind is distorted instability.  
Please release me before breaking.  
How long... x3  
in humiliation  
the countless fatal scars was born.

Choji, Shino and Sai simultaneously screamed into the mics before there was a small break between the words, the band began to do some head banging. Mostly to please the fans here and there as the music had become instrumental for a few seconds.

: Sexual disgrace:

That same pause from before acting of its own accord right before the climax of the song, Choji and Shino screaming through the mics every so often to further emphasis their point.

Prohibited but..  
Reckless driving cucumber...  
The kin' collapses...  
Near relatives on death...  
The smell of cigarette smell breath and shit  
Moment that bitter white jam is mixed  
Inside of a brain caused an error  
and goes mad by the sweet bug loop

_Ohhh Oh Oh yea_

A scream faded as Sai pressed his head forward his lips against the mic, eyes following the colour towards the back of the room. It was traveling way too much for his liking and he was starting to become agitated by this.

: Wait: Your seed and my seed never mixes.  
: Wait: The connection of this blood is eternal  
: Wait: You cannot finish suppressing the desire  
: Wait: To true daughter...

_: Sexual disgrace:_

kubi -wo- o? Hawa su shitasaki to te  
nozomu hyoujou guren ni somare

**Dad which fell into the trap**

Closet mind is distorted instability.  
Please release me before breaking.  
How long… x3  
in humiliation  
the countless fatal scars was born

Closet mind is distorted instability.  
Please release me before breaking.  
So long… x3  
in humiliation  
the final art is your dead face

**Don't let him get hold of the grip**

The band finished the song with just the instruments playing, Sai's alabaster fingers shaking slightly on the mic from his tight grip. His eyes scanned the crowd trying to relocate the orange smudge the careful eye he had on it was dead on until the person disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. Shino and Choji must have noticed that Sai was distracted by something because they gave off a funny look at the completion of the song, Shino's hand coming to rest upon Sai's shoulder as if silently telling him he needed to do his job.

There was a gentle sigh that passed his lips, his shaking stopping and the look of pure agitation leaving him before he cracked a slight grinned. Shikamaru spared the man a quick glance, a knowing look within his eyes, but Sai was too preoccupied with his own musings to have noticed. His lips curled in an almost demonic way, like he had suddenly claimed a lamb for the slaughter.

Two figures clinged to the Orange smudge and this is when he noticed he could discern that the person was a blond and that the blond held a deep look of discontent upon his face as the two others tugged at his body. A sun kissed blond, citrine… Eyes only interested in the blond and whether or not he would be able to capture such a creature.

The band began to start up again as they proceeded to finish up the set list. As the night wore on he became more and more agitated, listless, and hyper. He wanted out, he wanted off the stage, his dark eyes watching the blond with such intensity he never knew he could posses. With the ending of the show the band bid the crowd goodnight and filed off the stage accordingly.

The finishing band filed on to the stage behind them and began to play the end of the show while Sai found this a good time to sneak around the back and then into the crowd. With stealthy movements he took a hoodie more than likely belonging to one of the many technical members and proceeded to slip into the crowd unnoticed. From within the confines of the girlish hoodie he scanned the countless faces in search of the blond that had beyond a doubt caught his attention.

A sweet scent followed him wherever he went and did nothing but burn his senses; only women could wear scents this strong and stomach churning. Too long did it take him to find what he had been searching for, too long for his liking to find the blond he had been incessantly stalking with his eyes and now he was physically seeking out. The person was too far away though and in a silent panic he hurried through the dense crowd pushing his way through.

The panic that flared in his eyes was evident as he stumbled out of the crowd through the exit catching himself well, his steps were heavy as he slowly caught up to the other. Luck was just not on his side and within an instant the blond disappeared from sight. Frantically Sai's coal eyes scanned the exiting bodies but with each and every one it was the same. Gray, gray, gray… No colour, nothing. Just _gray_.

Sai was thoroughly annoyed now, his hand lifting to rub frustrated at his neck beneath the heavy hood as a deep long sigh was let lose. How could this happen? How could he allow it to happen? One minute the blond, whom he now understood to be a male, was there and the next gone. Kicking his foot out in his bout of frustration he accidentally tripped a woman whom exited beside him.

Also to his misfortune he happened to be the only solid object within reaching distance for her and as such she reached out for him. Her hands fisting in the girly fabric print of the hoodie dragging him forward. He stumbled with her as she hit the ground but caught himself and her as well. His hands wrapped tightly around her waist as she clung to his body. First he lost his intended prey, second he became the center of a scene and the third was just about to rear its ugly head unbeknownst to him.

"Ugh… thank you… OH MY GOD YOU'RE SAI!"

He was unaware that the hood to the thin hoodie had fallen back on his head revealing himself and unlucky for him he was smack in the middle of exiting fans. His ears became assaulted when the incident caused a fan girl epidemic, screaming women rushing him; bombarding him asking for autographs, hugs, kisses, even dates. Quite a few got a couple of lucky grabs making him feel assaulted and even a twinge of shame.

His hands flew to all areas as quick as they could but he could not stop the onslaught of fans, his hands lifting to his ears to block out the shrieks, body trying to bombard his way back. He hadn't expected this, thought he was even being careful. A grab to his package made anger flare within him, his eyes narrowing as anger leaked from every pour on his body and as soon as he was to turn and punch one of the disrespectful fans his manager came out with security guards practically plucking him up out of the crowd.

One of them had the nerve, the _nerve_ to stick her hand down his pants and cup his ass. Did these women really have no shame? He felt dirty, his body had been touched in places he had not even been touched there by a lover. He was seething, the very air around him seemed tainted with choking anger and to say the least everyone avoided him.

Pressing himself tightly against the wall of the buildings alley the blond looked at the gathering crowd, he did not know what was going on only that a burning sensation had seem to bore holes into his body all night. As if he was constantly being watched.

I just couldn't understand what had transpired throughout the night. Could not understand the why and I was even more confused over whom; I had known I was being followed but I was very unsure by whom. In all my thoughts, though, I never expected it to be him; of all people.

He could tell that during the concert he was being watched, vaguely he believed it to be one of the band members but after awhile he quickly dismissed this. With the lighting the way it was he was sure he could not be seen, but he didn't know how wrong he really was. A cold shiver ran down his spine as if someone's fingers traced up along his back, those lifeless, chilling eyes… Watching him, eyeing him… Calculating. He shivered once more as he tried to forget the harsh feeling of being watched, the sensations of it clinging to his flesh like an unwanted memory to a victim. The hairs on his neck stood at attention, it was unnerving and at the thought of Sai being the one to follow him and the one that had been watching him it became unsettling; his stomach churning over in flops.

Once the blond was sure that the other man was completely out of sight he left the safety of the alley and bolted, running to the only place that was a refuge to him now; his car. The night's events had him completely on edge and paranoid causing him to fumble with his keys and even miss the key hole several times.

Without a single doubt in his mind there was no god damn way that he would ever be tricked into going back to a Kohona concert again and especially not with Sakura-san.

* * *

**Whoa, that took awhile. **


	2. Job offer

**Disclaimer: **I have always wondered if there was a point to these things. I am obviously not making any money off of this story. I do not own Naruto. I do own the plot.

**Summary:** Seeing in black and white wasn't so bad; at least then the world was just one big place of emptiness. The whole thing lonely where everyone could feel like him; but when a smudge of colour appears where black and white dominate how is he supposed to act? Sullen by a smear of ignorance by a defiant plain, bright, displaced orange.

**Content:** Stuff unsuitable for children.

* * *

**"**_**A smear of Orange.**_**"**

_Thoughts / Sarcasm_

Words

"Speech"

* * *

**Written to:  
Hide and Seek, Speeding cars, The moment I said it: Imogen Heap  
Bat for lashes : Glass**

_**"**__A Facade upon a facade is just a crack within the truth__**."  
Hiro**_

"_Flames fell into orbit to hold eternally two heavenly spirits that just wouldn't seem." _

* * *

_Especially not with Sakura... _That thought had occurred almost a week prior from the current day.

Mixing blue of a most beautiful kind stared out of a dirt stained window, the twin orbs of cerulean lifting to the darkening sky. The grounds were still wet without the opportunity to dry. The clouds parted their silver body and wept misery upon the unsuspecting world once more.

The owner of the blue twin hues noted that the rain had started the very night he had left and had yet to let, the blond male's nose pulled back as it crinkled. Deep and even shallow creases marred his once flawless flesh making him look unattractive, yet, oddly not too unattractive.

His tan face reflected within the translucent glass made him pause a moment as he had caught a glimpse of himself. He was a beauty, or rather he was very handsome; he could admit that but surely it would fade. He would soon age and turn into a withered old man and everything he once held would slip through his fingers like ribbon.

Slumping his shoulder's the blond proceeded to let out a gentle sounding sigh, he sat perched upon the window's custom seat. Delicate finger's pressed against the coldness of the hard glass and as soon as the heat from his body reacted to the cold of the window a light fog curled around their tips. Pulling his hand down he dragged them through his reflection and without hesitation the fog followed close behind. The image of his face became streaked with finger tip fog, the vision of beauty marred within the windows dirty glass.

His eyes were focused but not upon his face, instead he was focused upon the world beyond his hallowed looks. The rain had begun to pitter upon the window's pane; the gentle pattering began to lull him gently. Blue hues closing as he listened carefully. The room was dark, the lights having been turned off; it was silent besides the distant hum of the refrigerator and the pattering of rain.

His blue eyes opened once more to stare out beyond the dirty glass and onward to the world holding despair within its heart. With his eyes he silently began to pick it apart detail by detail.

The Earth reeked of death as it slowly died; the scent of overflowing sewer's filtering through the vents as people scurried around in their busy and rushed lives. The more he picked apart things the more dismal they seemed, he sure could put a spin of drama in just about anything.

Twin cerulean's diverted to the blond's lap, his fingers running along the spine of a composition note book. His other hand tangled around his pencil before he began to tap it against the stark blankness of the paper.

Ideas… Ideas… Ideas were infinite. It was merely a meager task of searching a specific one out harnessing it and then placing it within a specific line of worlds that would be both beautiful and simplistic.

Ideas… were like jewelry, if one was too tacky or perhaps too gaudy one could simply throw it back into the bargain bin for another browser to come along and purchase. If one idea was too simplistic, outdated or even overly elaborate it could be clearance for sale. The newer more polished and primped ones would be placed on a pedal stool for one to take, use, reuse, and overestimate.

Personally, he preferred the gaudy ones; the ideas that were too awful to be placed into anything worthwhile yet he always seemed to be able to accomplish the impossible. These ideas were usually the most pure or the darkest of the rest and something he could easily worked with.

An idea came to him as he was musing; the sound of pencil marks moving against paper filled the air around him as he began to write the swimming thoughts that constantly churned within his head. Each forming a well scripted and well thought out line, it seemed almost too simple when placed upon paper.

He sat there for hours writing all the thoughts that seemed to flow so naturally, the fogged smears had long since disappeared and soon he let a faint smile claim his lips. Carefully his fingers traced the surface of smooth paper as he prided himself on his accomplishment and just when he was in the middle of his musings he had been rudely interrupted by an incessant rapping.

First it was a couple of knocks, and then three more followed, four, and more until whoever it had been had decided to just simply take it upon themselves and waltz right in. Intruding their presence in what he had unknowingly dubbed his silent sanctum. The blond gritted his teeth slightly as the intruders interrupted him with rather loud destitute, his face pulling back as his lips formed a scowl.

"And to what do I owe this _pleasure_?"

A slight chuckle of amusement floated to the young boy's ears, apparently he had struck a funny cord within the taller of the two intruders; squinted eyes filled with a light laughter settled in the blond's general direction. With a rather charming grin that seemed to be hidden beneath an unusually large scarf. The tall intruder came up with a fierce cheerfulness and plucked the boy up into a bear hug, much to the blonds' displeasure. '

"Come now, is that anyway to greet your father?"

With a look that only he could accomplish he looked at the male dawned 'father' and gave a rather loud snort.

"Oh, beg pardon _sir_, I did not _mean_ to displeasure you with my sarcasm."

Cerulean hues rolled wildly in their sockets, his arrogant sarcasm coming about like a bull out for the kill. Placing a hand upon the male's head he pat the gray almost silver locks as if he was paying heed to a child done good. The man deemed father seemed to take the hint and let the blond down, much to his satisfaction. A triumphant grin placed upon rounded lips.

"You should mind your tongue."

Placing his hands upon his body he began to straighten his clothing before lifting his face to cast a rather narrowed glare towards the female companion of the male. Her voice had been sharp but his glare, sharper as she faltered a bit.

"I still haven't forgotten last week if you _really_ want to continue."

She blushed a petty pink before narrowing her eyes and then sighing in heated frustration, turning away from him she moved towards the dining room table and took a proper seat while the blond walked into the kitchen and their father joined her. Propping himself up against an open fridge he rummaged around for something to drink forgetting entirely that he should be more 'hospitable.'

Sighing softly he pulled out a jug of Oj and a few glasses before making his way over to them. Setting the Oj before them with a rather large thump he gave a half smile half grimace. Here was the part with small talk… something he was never really good at, even as a child… or at least he assumed so.

"So… um, how's the new job?"

The gray haired male began to pour himself his own glass of juice as the blond sat there looking rather uncomfortable, his fingers fidgeting with his half full glass.

"Its going good. You know…"

He stared at the man, the blonds' lips parting as he drowned the other out and began to look rather… bored. He didn't really care; he just humored them for the moment. After all, it was a visit… right?

"… and I think we're really getting somewhere with him."

Snapping back into reality the blond wiped his mouth slightly before taking a sip of Oj, somehow he felt like what the other said was important but at the same time, he honestly couldn't care less.

"Uh…huh… What are you here for again?"

The blond wondered a moment if this was answered in the long explanation about the others job but couldn't for the life of him recall.

"Ah… well, I'm actually here to offer you a job."

Naruto's nodded his head in slight acknowledgement, not that he was actually going to go through with any proposals the man had to offer... Especially not after the last one; he shivered unconsciously before taking another sip of his juice. Inquiring about the position though, Naruto's sought only to humor the old man.

"And I would be doing what exactly?"

"Writing; the job is for a lyricist. I need you to write songs. The pays great and you'll be working with the number one band of…"

He began to drown the other out as he continued on with his description of said band, none of which gave him any real clues as to what genre. Popular? That could mean someone out of the top ten of each genre; narrowing it down to over 50. His fingers began to pull heavenly notes from its travel around the rim of his juice glass, his blue eyes locking on with his father's own and as he stopped he spoke sternly.

"Who?"

The man grinned… A bad sign.

"You'll see."

"I have conditions." Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I assumed so."

"If I don't like it I walk. Understand?"

"Fully."

He quirked a delicate brow towards his father; that seemed as if it was entirely too easy for him. The man was up to something and he wanted to know what it was. Azure eyes turned towards Sakura, who up till now had been rather quiet as she fingered the glass juice. He smiled at her his lips parting to let him speak once more.

"So Sakura… This band… I'm sure you know who they are."

"I…"

She looked up with a slight nervousness. Her green hues were rather plain having little to no appeal. Her body was rather average as well but those were not the features that made her alluring. It was her face that drew you in, not to mention the god awful pink of her hair. He never understood that… She had a delicate feminine face; her skin was unnaturally flawless in its beauty. Pale and smooth and soft much like a baby's. She was plain, so painfully plain but in that plainness was a beauty all her own. He smiled unnaturally sweet while waiting for her to spit it out before she cleverly changed the subject.

"You know Shino's wanted to meet you for awhile. Every time I mention you he always says something about never having met you."

She held up her hand as if to put some sort of emphasis to her words and with a small nod Naruto acknowledged her. Lately he had noticed that her personality seemed to have mellowed out something he could only imagine was because of this new lover of hers… Shino? Yes… that was his name. After an hour of 'catching' up, sarcasm, and quite a few awkward silences he thought it best for them to be leaving.

Pointing to the door the blond grinned faintly. "The visit was lovely but if you have nothing more to say there is the door. Don't let it hit you on the way out. Bye, bye. See ya later."

Quoting one of his fondest children type movies he chuckled softly standing tall with a hand resting upon his hip. Of course he got protest, something about not spending more 'family' time together. The thing was… Naruto wasn't a family person; he didn't really care much either way. Though of course he did hold a fondness for the two and sometimes he wondered if they were really related but well, none of that really mattered.

He brushed his thoughts off before retuning back to his window seat once more. They had left at his request, and though they had been nothing but a bother a deep sense of loneliness settled into the room. The silence returning and only the sound of the constant pitter patter and the refrigerator's buzz reflected.

He sighed and looked back to the world beyond this silent one. He watched as they entered their respective cars and drove off. He watched until he could not see them any longer and with another heavy sigh he began to get back to work, contemplating, contradicting, condescending and collecting his words together.

* * *

**Enjoy**


	3. Ignorant

**Disclaimer: **I have always wondered if there was a point to these things. I am obviously not making any money off of this story. I do not own Naruto. I do own the plot.

**Summary:** Seeing in black and white wasn't so bad; at least then the world was just one big place of emptiness. The whole thing lonely where everyone could feel like him; but when a smudge of colour appears where black and white dominate how is he supposed to act? Sullen by a smear of ignorance by a defiant plain, bright, displaced orange.

**Content:** Stuff unsuitable for children.

A/N: Re-edited

* * *

**"**_**A smear of Orange.**_**"**

_Thoughts_

Words

**"Speech"**

* * *

**Written to:  
Dir En Grey, GazettE, Lupe Fiasco**

* * *

"So this guy is supposed to be the bands new lyricist?"

The brunette male looked rather skeptical while staring at the picture of the man that was going to be writing for them from now on. He seemed young a little too young in his opinion, his fingers moving across a sample of music the male wrote.

The man was decent looking; no doubt about it his eyes scanning the picture before moving to the sample sheet. He really didn't care about the man looks. What caught him really were the lyrics, they were... good; no, actually they were exceptional. They seemed to just jump from the page and bathe him in a sort of emotional shower that he had never had the pleasure or misfortune to ever feel. It made him feel strangely at peace.

"No..."

The raven haired male said sternly, he would not stand for this. He hadn't even read the lyrics, yet he already made up his mind knowing that there was no way he was going to let someone come in and tell them that what they were writing was wrong.

In all honesty, his blatant disregard for a new lyricist was only because he was still feeling sore about the past few weeks. Constantly he had been searching for that stupid blond, that stupid smear that seemed to haunt him now. Tried as he might there was no alleviating that nuisance. Trying to fill that emptiness he now felt was like trying to throw salt into open wounds. The more they pressed the subject the more he back-lashed. This particular situation was no different.

He would not stand for it.

It was a little surprising when the others parted with him slightly but in that same regard they were still more open minded about the situation then him. If anything to at _least_ humor Kakashi in his ideas. They did feel a bit that their music had been losing some of its good edge and maybe this boy was just what they needed to sharpen that point. Make something fresh, something new. At that same time they felt they could do well all on their own.

"Sai..."

Shikamaru started, but was quickly silenced by that pre-Madonna attitude the other showed, a pale hand pressing his way.

"No. I refuse. Our music is fine without some _child_ telling us we need to be better. If we were so terrible then please, someone explain our sold out concerts? Or sold out records?"

He was trying to use facts and reason now, trying to find ways to get them out of it despite his personal feelings about the way the band had been going. Calling them 'less-than-great' was starting to bother him as well. There was a cold displaced feeling of hatred in his chest, something that felt unnatural against another feeling that settled there. He was angry, upset, how could anyway proceed to make a fool out of him? He wanted to punch away that mocking smile.

o~0~0~0~0~0~0~o

Orange.

A blinding colour that felled with the fragrance of cleanliness, so brisk and fresh with not a single stitch out of place; blinding almost like the sun. Such an overbearing colour that Orange, its shade sketching its way across the cloth to be worn by only him. Hands slipped through the arms of the cloth that made a shirt while the figure pulled it down upon his kissed flesh.

The cloth hugged and formed against his curves, molding to him as if it were almost a second skin against the first. Its design protecting him from any harm that might befall his bare flesh, thick but delicate fingers moving to smooth the surface of his 'armor' ridding the cloth of its bunched wrinkles. An illusion of flawlessness claiming him before a shift in body movement would have it throwing another tantrum of crinkles.

The un-cooperating fabric was the least of his worries as he lifted his Azure eyes to the window, staring out through and down at the world below. A sliver car had pulled up along the curb's side below, the white smoky exhaust left the back end signaling that the car's motor was running.

He had begun to wonder why he had taken on this job and as to why he was even bothering. Mixed blue hues closed as a hand lifted to press against the wind, his body sliding off the window seat and shoving off to leave. After all, his ride was here; best not keep them waiting… He looked sullen as he grabbed his plain black coat and slipping it over his arms zipping it up. His face turned back, his eyes catching the remnant of his hand print against the glass, the fogged up glass fading. It was sad almost… and without a second thought he left.

His lips were pressed thin and his face held silent to emotion, feet housed in heavy boots hitting the ground with a resounding noise as he made way down the steps. Was he stepping off to his doom? Perhaps there might be something of value out of this, just maybe. His mind was barely hopeful as he sauntered off and into the car, the male holding the door open closed it behind him; returning to his previous position as driver and taking the blond to his newly found 'chore.'

He watched silently at the world outside, everything seemed so fragile, so hollow to him. It was like a perfectly sculpted piece, and slowly as the days progressed into years the winds would shatter their spirits and break down anything in its path. In his eyes, the world was dying, decaying, fading… His eyes reflected despair and pain, them becoming sightless, vision-less… He hadn't always been this way. A hand lifting to its owners face moved its fingers into the locks of blond ruffling it lazily, the tips of the fingers feeling a scar that only he could feel, only he could see. Eyes of gentle pain glazing over no longer seeing what could be seen but what could not… His past.

It was as if everything became a haze and the perfectly screened shot of a sharp axe came down. The harsh sound of a thud as it hit skull and spliced through flesh. The world bled red and without breath it died. His vision cleared when he became startled from his thoughts, the man; his driver opening the door he had been leaning on. Unknowingly to him they had already reached their destination mere minutes ago. He felt as if it had been merely seconds in the car when it had been indeed tens of minutes after the other.

The sun caste a soft shimmering light upon the blond as he stepped out from the car, his deep blue hues lifting to the gray like sky, it seemed the sun wanted to emerge from its game of peek a boo. The world a little less bleak, the land a little less wet; hand lifting he blocked out the light, but somehow he couldn't help feel that it was speaking to him. That the world was speaking with him. "This way please, sir."

Again he was startled from his process of cognition, blue hues snapping back to his driver; this time he took in a bit more detail of the man as the lifted hand moved to the collar of his coat and tugged on it gently. The male was tall, maybe about six feet he'd say. A strict stern look upon his face, but somehow there was a warmth with him and this somehow made him smile. His head nodding forward slightly as he followed the man into the building, he was just doing his job. Just a job…

Somehow, Naruto himself just couldn't believe that it was only a job, but then again, he'd be telling himself that's all it was sooner or later. His hands moved to unzip the coat he wore, fingers playing at the end of the zippers length before it was fully opened to reveal that deafening blinding colour. It was his trademark, it was him. An awkward grin pressed against his lips as the man took his coat and began leading him down a corridor.

The hall was rather plain and white, he could almost compare it to the purest new fallen snow, but then he could not recall the last time he saw 'snow' or even recalled its texture. He let a soft sigh pass through slightly parted lips as his hand lifted and began to run against the front of his shirt ridding it temporarily of its wrinkles. The door at the end of the hallway to the left was where the man stopped, his hand lifting and forming a fist before the middle poked out and he gave to loud knocks at the door.

It opened. Kakashi stepped out, the man in his usual dull attire. He had become so wary of those pale deep blue suits and those pale forest green ties. So plain, dull and lifeless. Lips pressed against each other and became a faint smile as he stared towards the silver haired man, a lazy two finger salute being set off as he greeted the other.

"Yo. I came, so what now?"

Kakashi's face gave this uncharacteristic grin as he tucked a hand in his pocket deeply, his Right hand waving into the doorway silently telling the other to go on. There was a hesitant look in the blond's eyes as he stared at the man, something about that smile made him uneasy. The pit of his stomach gathering butterflies as they batted around like caged creatures. Uneasy was an understatement. His hand pressed at the lower part of his abdomen and without another moment's hesitation he stepped forward and into the room that could quite possibly seal within unspoken doom.


	4. How about lunch?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters so back down (; A ;) , though I do, however, own some of the lyrics used in this fanfic. Not all, some. It will be stated.

**Summary:** Seeing in black and white wasn't so bad, at least then the world was just one big place of emptiness. The whole thing lonely, at least everyone could feel like him. But when a smudge of colour appears where black and white dominate how is he supposed to act? Breeching his lonely world, becoming sullen by a smear of ignorance; that plain bright displaced orange.

**Content:** Stuff not meant for children.

**A/N: I've been getting better at writing more. Check back, after the next update, I'd advise all readers to re-read the first few chapters again. I will be working on them over the span of the next few days and tweaking them to fit better with the rest of the story to date. =] Hope you like this update. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think.**

* * *

**"_A smear of Orange._"**

_Thoughts / Sarcasm_

Words

"Speech"

* * *

**Written to:  
**

**MIKA, India Arie, Owl City.  
Various Naruto/Inuyahsha/other theme songs.  
Kyle Landry's Piano playing.  
Various Instrumentals.**

_"Little lamb come lay with me, beneath this weeping willow. Let us stay together beneath the greying skies. Little lamb come to your Lion, for I will shelter you from the bitter cold. Don't you realise little one, that no matter the breeze I will protect your heart. For this Lion has fallen in love with the lamb."  
**Hiro**_

* * *

Ignorance. Pure unadulterated ignorance was what had been staring him blind smack in the face, the bright colour very obnoxious as it refracted in his mind.

How long had it been since he saw with such colour, how long had it been since he had seen anything but black and white? His face shown of slight shock and discomfort, but none of it was noticed as the band members seemed to crowd around the newly entered individual.

A hand came and smacked its self across the boy's back, his body in reaction jolting forward as it seemed to reveal in shock. It was obvious he had not been expecting such a thing to happen to him; hand lifting to his chest as if to slow his sped up heart before it slipped into golden citrine locks.

A goofy grin taking hold of the young man's face as he nervously laughed. It seemed to Sai as if this buffoonish looking character was the one that was to be the bands new lyricist; the sad part… Sai had been boring holes into the boy's body unable to bring himself to look away.

What was it about this creature, this boy, this male that made him appear in bold colour when the rest of the world was dark, when it did not? What made him so intriguing, so special that Sai had seemed to be drawn into him with the pull almost similar to a black hole?

Sai's stony coal like eyes seemingly glared into the males deep blue's as they caught each other's for a moment and to Sai it was like time merely wanted to bend to his will and stay still to prolong that simple action. There was a slight widening within the others eyes and Sai recognized the emotions that passed as slight shock and was that, anger?

He blinked, clearing his vision so that he may try and see what he saw again, but by that time the blond had looked away from him. Sai stood erect, his slender body looking even more slender in the black clothing he wore.

A regular black shirt, long sleeves that seemed to cling to his flesh like a second skin, but loose so that it wasn't campy. A button down shirt over top, the very same shade of black and a pair of plain black jeans to top it off, he for some reason, had not been wearing any shoes, only a pair of simple black socks. No accessories except for a simple choker, braided black leather fitting firmly against his neck making it easier to discern skin from cloth.

He walked with silent steps towards the blond haired male, into the small crowd of members that had gather and stuck his hand out to the boy. Silence; utter silence, the whole room frozen simply because it was well known that Sai was the most intolerable member of the band and that he disliked anything that was not from his usual routine.

This simple action that Sai had taken, this simple movement of the body shocked them, however; Kakashi's face seemed unfazed, a knowing grin upon his thin lips. Naruto's pose made him seem like a child in that moment, the look on his face incredulous; hands lifting to his chest in fist as he stared at the man like he had a third and fourth eye.

The blond was hesitant; Sai's hand outstretched for him to hold, to shake and for some strange reason the others did not blame him for the reaction, the looks on their faces clearly evident of this. It was merely a fact that Sai was an unkind uncaringly cold man except to act opposed for his 'adoring' fans, which seemed more often than naught.

"Its okay Naruto, the _'dark and mysterious'_ Sai won't eat you, though biting your head off…" the male speaking grinned, "he just might do."

An elbow nudge into Naruto's left forearm and he looked up for a mere glance at the man, Kiba was his name, it seemed like they were buddy, buddy in that instance but Naruto very well knew otherwise. An almost pale pink twinge painted his cheeks, he was no pervert, but his mind couldn't help thinking what he thought about the man as he had taken that glance.

'_This is just a job… Nothing more, nothing less.…_' He began telling himself, repeating it; for there was no need for petty and useless feelings here. His hand reached out and grabbed onto Sai's with a firm grip, his smile as fake as the nails a woman wore; his mind shoving it, pressing it across his features. With his head pressing forward he entered into a half bowed towards the man before him.

"It is very nice to meet you Akemi-san, Inuzuka-san, Aburame-san, Akimichi-san; my name is Uzumaki Naruto. I am to be the band's new lyricist."

An incredulous look took over the silver haired males face; h-had Naruto acted like a professional? He had bowed too? The silver haired really had to double take at that particular mannerism the man known as his son displayed; Twilight Zone?

Blinking slowly, once then twice, three times… It was amazing really, agonizingly sad to watch of course, but amazing nonetheless. Watching Naruto with careful eyes he took in how the man subjected himself to be a polite, respectable and almost pleasant individual… _Almost_.

Kakashi had began to quite enjoy himself after that moment, his careful eyes trying to pick out the slightest slip up, his only regret? He had no camera to capture the moment. Lips decorated in a half smile he imagined the boys embarrassment at their family 'get together's,' knowing this to only be a wistful daydream.

Sai stood slightly stun at this sheer display, his hand still in the others grip with coal black eyes gazing at the blonds' form. Naruto's head was bent as to where he could no longer see the man's face, but most of all… his eyes. It may sound a bit cliché but to any onlooker it might have been clear that Sai was most definitely in love with those oceanic hues; at least that was the guess in which one would observe with the way he had sought them out.

When Sai's hand slipped into Naruto's there was an undeniable feeling that over came him, the feeling of electric pulsing through the air. The feeling of pure electricity, one that had began to run through his body with a will of fire streaming through each and every one of his veins. So agonizingly slow it crept through him, along him, over him; like a lovers walking fingertips along supple bare flesh. It weaved through every joint and every piece of flexing muscle, down to the tips of his very fingers and toes.

First this boy had given him the horrid, and in his humble opinion, gift of bold colour and now this? This undeniable sensation, this utter feeling of churning embedded deep within the pit of his stomach? Who was this boy? This… man that seemed to simply stroll upon and into his life as if he had not a single care in the world; where mannerism seemed to be his forte and capturing souls in those oceans he called eyes was dominate?

Sai's head swam with multiple thoughts while Naruto felt merely nothing but a sensation that the man was a bit creepy for not letting him go sooner. The hand slipped from Sai's and was returned to his side with no regard for its future. A hand placed upon his shoulder and ever so gently did a forced smile appear, his azure hues lifting to the man's face.

"Kiba is th..."

A grin spread across his lips as he felt the hand rub slightly at his shoulder, the other male's face very animated as he spoke, but for some reason Naruto just could not bring himself to actually pay attention and listen. His blues were most definitely captivated by the others own gentle ones, soft slits they seemed to be, the center dark and rich.

This was unnatural, so much so and it was sad to say it took Naruto a moment before he had realized the man simply forgotten to take his contacts out. As such tender rose claimed his tan cheeks in their gentle embrace; embarrassed for being fooled so easily he cleared his throat making sure no one had seen.

He scoffed at himself for such a idiotic thing; but he simply could not tear his gaze from the beauty of the males eyes. It seemed as if his contacts were meant only to create slits letting his eye's natural beauty pass forth. A deep unnatural but earthy blue crawled around the slit iris and then burst into a sea of colour, the blue fading into chocolate brown and settling to fade into a lighter more hazel brown.

A soft sigh past Naruto's lips as he seemed to get caught in the emotional whirl wind of those very set of eyes placed perfectly upon the mans face. Like a love struck teen, a kid with a crush he sighed again past slightly parted lips and Kiba's grip tightened against his shoulder. The mind was startled by this action and let him accomplish the task of tearing his eyes away from the others eyes as he was gently tugged towards the couch.

Never before had he let himself be overcome by such a simple action, a mere look in the man's eyes and he was simply lost. Floating upon a sea of gentle chocolate into a horizon of hazel and blue; his hand lifted to his abdomen and he began to grow with slight discomfort. There was a feeling growing there, deep in the center festering within and he felt that the longer he was around these men that the more it was fest and coil until it was ready to shoot through him for freedom.

His eyes closed painfully slow, it was a wonder he could pretend to listen to the man babble about many things and yet in actuality be caught deep within his eyes, mesmerized. Hell, even Sai had managed to gain his own bearings and began to finally join them after his long journey through his minds growing thoughts. Joining them Sai sat beside Shino but not so much so, so that he was still beside Choji careful and mindful to watch the blond while not being caught.

Within the first few hours Naruto had gain a substantial amount of knowledge on the members of the band, the topics having gone from lovers, to sports, to simple video games and food. It shocked him just how different they were from their appearances, and somehow he felt a slight twinge of guilt press his chest for having judge them off the bat based on that alone.

He had learned in these hours that Shino; who seemed reserved, was actually very into sports. He learned that Choji was very big into video games and that even though he seemed not of the type, he was practically an expert at picking up chicks. Kiba, well, he was the most shocking. His exuberant energy made him think he was big into outdoor activities when in actuality he was very big into food, having explained his desire to one day open a restaurant and write a book about his life.

These individuals were so different from the way they were portrayed; Choji was in all honesty a virgin. Tried and true he was a bonafied virgin, no joking, but that wasn't to say he didn't have his fair share of women; merely waiting for the right one he said. Kiba was bisexual, 'I roll both dice,' as he so nicely put it but he was currently single; whereas Shino was not. Shino having gone on for a bit about a Jade eye beauty who stole away his heart in an odd store incident that happened to involved a lot of Champaign and chocolate. Naruto couldn't help the snickers at the story and he thought it odd this Jade eyed beauty sounded a lot like Sakura, though he quickly pushed it out of his mind.

The blond pressed his fingers into citrine coloured strands and miffed them up a bit; he almost looked as if he just roused from bed. His face took on a rosy sort of alive glow as they turned all eyes upon him. Sai's lips pressed out a question that the whole room seemed to want answered, eyes carefully situated on the man's body Sai smirked.

"Are you in a relationship?"

Laughing nervously the blond began to shift slightly in his seat, thoroughly uncomfortable. Being put on the spot like that was all but weird for him; it was something he disliked strongly but considering these were technically his new bosses… he complied, but hesitantly.

His fingers unconsciously lifted to his head again as it tilted, his finger tips pressed delicately through his jungle of hair and ran tenderly over a raised scar hidden. It still hurt to touch even though it had been years now, his eyes bled crimson as his mind began to revel in those memories, those thoughts from long ago.

"No… Not anymore… Not for a long time."

His eyes fell to his lap as his hand dropped from his head, a clear look of distress and pain reflecting upon his vision as he stared at the listless hand. It seemed as if it was always covered in blood, always tainted with his pain. There was a silence that claimed the room, the only sounds seemed to be the pitter patter of the newly formed and falling rain and the slight shifting and rustling of clothes. The silence was like a vice grip, its hands wrapped firmly around his neck choking him slowly of any will to want to stick around.

He officially felt as if he did not belong, his hand flipping so that his palm now rubbed nervously against his thigh, his blue eyes rich in mixing emotions. Sai's eyes were careful on Naruto's form, particularly his nervous form; the others were trying to figure out some way to break the sense of awkward that seemed to settle upon them.

"Are you a virgin?"

The awkward became unsettled and Naruto's nervousness all but left him into a full on glare, this man had sheer audacity; first he gets followed out of the concert by him about a week or so before and now this. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, what was this man playing at precisely?

"Well, are you?"

Sai repeated himself urging the man to reply, his eyes carefully watching him; at this point the others became interested in this as well, their eyes upon Naruto's unsettled form. Fingers jutted into citrine and a nervous laugh echoed, the blonds face claiming to sport a new type of blush. Eyes faltering, tan cheeks were pressed rouge; it was almost immediate that he replied to Sai's narrowing eyes. The blonds' eyes lifted up to the door as Kakashi entered; he didn't know he even left. Awkward, this was all too awkward for him. His eyes flickered to the others faces and it seemed Shino had this amused smile, while Choji and Kiba simply stared back and forth between Sai and Naruto.

"_Well_?"

His patience's was wearing thin, so much so that it was about as strong as a piece of paper at the moment and with blue eyes narrowed towards Shino's, he failed to see the humor in this. Awkward. So very awkward; no… that wasn't it, that wasn't the reason for his certain apprehension.

Naruto was a strong kind, a strong man. He learned to swallow his words and pride and become what was expected of him, but these questions… His hand lifted once more, this time it was more conscientious, tan fingers moving along the scalp to the raised mark. My scar...

Azure coloured hues dropped as they began to reflect a deep pain within them, it was so painful that if you had any form of human empathy you would be able to feel it too. His lips parted in shallow, uneven breathing as he tried desperately to calm himself. It had been years, years…

His eyes stared intently at his hand as it dropped, his eyes staring at the wrist that lay face up, a jagged white scar across it. It was faded, worn like his mind; almost blending in with his tan flesh now… Physically his wounds had all but healed over, scarred, but mentally the horrid memories would forever be present within each and every physical scar he adorned.

He was always careful to keep it in, to hold in the mental pain and he had been doing a good job so far. His chest clenched tightly as it began to tear from it's holdings, he could feel each artery bursting, letting him bleed once more. Brilliant azure dulled to a hue that resembled sun faded and tarnished crystal. The only attractive trait they held was merely for the deep sting behind them; the burn of his unshed tears made his eyes grow wider and seem slightly polished.

A sense of deep hate and self pity fled his body taking over completely as his eyes closed off and he leaned back. He seemed relaxed, his ears taking in the sounds of the rain that seemed to fall and pitter patter against the windows pane. He could not remember rain in the forecast for today, but then… when had weather men ever been correct?

His tears seemed to always grow, but never once were they to be shed; the cavern in his heart filling with the unshed tears of his pain as his inner self contorted. Body inverted, curled. Knees being held to his inner self's chests, the sight of his broken and battered body painful to even stare at. He was like a child pressed with deep unforgettable agony, drowning in the tears of his sorrow as they collected drop by drop within.

Could he be saved?

He sneered at his thoughts, saviors are meant for the weak willed. He scoffed at the idea of him being rescued; there was no one who could rescue him after his long fall. Not one. Oceans full of mixing emotions lifted to Sai's line of vision as he began to capture coal in his grips; no escape. Naruto's lips pulled at the corners, a mocking smile upon them as his chin moved to rest upon his knuckles his free hand lifting and pressing to his cheek as if to comfort himself in the suffocation of his own inner demons.

"Have you ever loved Akemi-san?"

He refused to acknowledge the man with his first name, after all, they weren't on those terms and Naruto refused to let them be so. Naruto was a sneaky one, successfully avoiding Sai's question he merely watched the blond as he seemed to smile triumphantly. Sai had never come to love any one, it was very obvious. It was like an oil painting on canvas, plain and painted for the world to see and as Sai's eyes narrowed more, Naruto's smile grew.

_"No."_

It was nearly bitten out, seething with thick venom; for whatever Naruto was planning, it was obvious to the victor. In our verbal exchange Naruto somehow gained the upper hand. His smile was still there; prominate, his face had never even changed, but I could tell, I could. That smile that Naruto wore was faker than the one I placed for my own fans.

"Don't ask questions that you can't even begin to fathom how the answer can get you in trouble."

He laughed sweetly, almost too sweet and my jaw began to clench painfully as I tried to rid myself of the horrible ache that had begun to surface. I watched him carefully as he began to speak again, finally answering my question but ever so vaguely.

"_Yes_ and no."

What was that even supposed to mean? I stared, my eyes trained on Naruto's body as his form became erected. He was a beauty, I had to give him that, but otherwise, I could tell he was a fake; a faker. Sai's calm gaze faltered as it switched from Naruto to Kakashi, whom took it upon himself to pull Sai aside for talk of the future and the band.

Naruto's eyes trained on the other members as he smiled sweetly to them. I had to admit, that even with the displeasure of having met Sai, the rest of the members were not all that bad. Choji and Shino seemed cool, and there was something about Kiba that I had seemed to grown a liking to already. I turned away from them, however; intent on leaving the room.

Thoughts on my mind of how I desperately wished words strung together into such questions like those were never invented, my eyes closing as I let out a deep sigh. All in all I was about a mere inch from the edge of taking off and not even bothering with this job, it was only worth a headache and then some. My brows furrowed together and my hands pressed into my pockets, so many nightmares left behind, memories I wished to forget but was constantly reminded of.

Why weren't things as simple as they were spoken?

I felt a hand press against my shoulder and somehow I could not help but let out a silent gasp, my body shuddering at the touch. I let my eyes turn and I was greeted with Kiba's oddly hazel ones, I don't think I would ever admit but that was a very attractive feature the man possessed; something that I seemed to be growing attached to despite my own advice not to.

"Heh, Sai here is an asshole; don't take anything he says to heart. I know I for one am pretty excited about what you can do for us..."

Somehow I couldn't bring myself to listen; I must have some type of ADD because it seemed that when staring at Kiba I just seemed to lose myself in his eyes. I scoffed at myself, such ridiculousness, Kiba was nothing special and neither was this place.

"Would you like to grab something to eat together? I want to ask you some questions about your work. Heh, Kakashi let us read some of it before ya came… so… yeah.. Hope you don't mind though. It was really awesome stuff."

Sai's eyes casted a sidelong gaze, narrowed and directly towards Kiba, hateful at the rather animatedly talking man. My lips peeled into a simple smile as I stared up at Kiba, it took me a second to realize he was indeed taller than I was but not by much. I rather enjoyed it; my eyes glanced off to the side as I took in Sai's intense glare at the man before me. I grinned, couldn't help it; anything to piss that man off.

It seemed as if Kiba was ignorant to Sai's maleficent gaze and somehow this highly amused me and I began to use it to my advantage. I decided to accept Kiba's offer and as I did I even threw in some physical touching.

"Sure, I know a great restaurant not too far from here. I'm psyched."

Somehow I forgot that Kiba's hand was on my shoulder and perhaps Kiba did too, but he did not mind and instead let it slip around my shoulders while tugging me to his body. I felt nervous, my breath shaggy as it left me. There was a heat that rose in me, my face glowering with it and I tried to hide it, a tiny smile on my face.

Kiba began to drag me off towards the door and I looked back to see if anyone was following… Not that I expected anyone to; and I was right. Choji and Shino seemed to be grinning from ear to ear and Sai seemed as if he was seething as Kakashi blocked his way out with, what I was sure, a wall of words.

I laughed and I could feel Kiba's eyes on me as I let out a hearty one, it was too amusing for me. It seemed that upsetting Sai was soon to be my new favourite game and this I would not pass up. Not for the life of me. I settled down and looked up at Kiba grinning, the man's warm grip slipped from my body and I felt an odd sensation. The sense of loss claiming me as I stood there watching Kiba's actions.

That was not right; I shouldn't feel this way, not towards him or anyone… It was confusing, very much so and I couldn't understand where it came from. My hand reaching out unconsciously as I took my coat from Kiba's outstretched hand; I probably seemed like I was lost somewhere daydreaming since I watched as his hand waved in front of my face.

"Oh yeah… Heh..."

I smiled sheepishly and started to pull my coat on as we headed down the hall towards the exit. It was odd, that feeling of loss that crept up my body slowly. I blatantly ignored it.

* * *

**Seriously, MIKA = AWESOME**

**I rather love his song called, "Blame it on the girls."**

**Hope you enjoyed, hope to see some reviews this time as well.**

**Thanks for reading.**


	5. The Temper Tantrum

**Disclaimer: **I have always wondered if there was a point to these things. I am obviously not making any money off of this story. I do not own Naruto. I do own the plot.

**Summary:** Seeing in black and white wasn't so bad; at least then the world was just one big place of emptiness. The whole thing lonely where everyone could feel like him; but when a smudge of colour appears where black and white dominate how is he supposed to act? Sullen by a smear of ignorance by a defiant plain, bright, displaced orange.

**Content:** Stuff unsuitable for children.

* * *

**"_A smear of Orange._"  
**

_Thoughts / Sarcasm_

Words

"Speech"

* * *

**Written to:  
Many Artists**

"_Im trapped in this world_  
_Lonely and faded_  
_Heartbroke and waiting_."

* * *

"You've never been to Yoyogi Park?"

A gentle laugh arose from the male with the citrine colour hair, his fingers tapping idly against the rim of his coke; eyes watching the male across him speak rather animatedly. The was having a hard time understanding why Kiba was so stunned that he had never been, as a matter of fact he was even having a hard time trying to figuring out where he had even heard of the park before.

"I have never been to Yoyogi Park."

Kiba's expression changed from that of a stunned look to one of pure disbelief, Naruto thought it was odd, Kiba made this place seem like everyone knew about it and he was the only one out of the loop. Kiba's face turned into this mock scowl as he watched Naruto laugh at him a bit; somehow though, Naruto did not much appreciate its appearance marring the others face.

"I can't believe this… It's exactly right there."

He held a complacent smile upon his lips, his eyes seeming of a lighter Azule turned away from the man and into the direction of his pointing finger. Sure enough, Yoyogi Park was right there. In all the years that Naruto had lived in the area he never once remembered hearing of a "Yoyogi park," and apparently from what Kiba was saying it was mere blocks from his own residence. In fact, it seemed that it was only a short walk from where they currently resided; that was to say, they were currently held up in the McDonald's about a block away from said park.

"Awe… Kiba, are you inviting me to the park?"

Naruto let out a soft laughter, his blue orbs batting delicately towards the man mocking a woman in every way, it wasn't until he saw the blush that began to taint the man's flesh that he stopped and stared for a moment. Kiba was actually inviting him to the park and somehow this gave him a little shock. Adverting his gaze Naruto allowed a light twinge of a blush to appear upon his cheeks and a smile to claim his lips.

"Well… want to?"

Kiba's voice seemed a bit nervous and this made Naruto's smile a bit bigger while he nodded towards the other.

"I would enjoy that. Yes."

Naruto's natural air seemed to be enough to suck anyone in, Kiba was sure of that as his eyes trained on the blond form. It was obvious from the blond hair and brilliant blue eyes that he was every bit as unique as nature had intended. It was also obvious that this was something that attracted Kiba to Naruto; the only weird part was that there wasn't one single trace of another race within Naruto's blood and his unnatural features were nothing more than a rarity among the Asian populous.

The gaze that Naruto was faced with was somehow uncomfortable but appreciated at the very same and with it a weird feeling was what he got. He knew that Kiba was watching him, eyeing him much like any other would to someone so out of place. Placing the last of their trash on the tray he began to stand moving to throw out their waste and put the tray away. It was no sooner had he stood and started walking away had Kiba done the same and begun to follow. His footsteps were muffled by the conversations from others all around, but somehow; somehow Naruto knew they were there and they were his. His body turned after having put away the tray and he was beginning to work at his zipper to pull it up to close his jacket; Kiba seemed to be having trouble or at least that's what Naruto assumed going by the concentrated look the other held.

"It's stuck, here… Let me help."

Naruto placed his hand over Kiba's own, a sensation filling him from the tips of his fingers up. He couldn't deny it; that feeling but he sure as hell that he could ignore it. Naruto's hands worked diligently to fix the stuck zipper and under Kiba's intense settled gaze he was sure the man saw him shiver at the skin to skin contact.

"Hey thanks."

Kiba's voice was smooth to his ears; without looking up he turned his back on the other, one hand curling in a fist lifting to the collar of his own jacket while his other pushed its way into a pocket. He inverted, trying to hide the subtle blush that appeared to spread across his cheeks.

"Heh… you're welcome. Now come on, I want see this park you have been raving about."

Change of subject. Naruto wasted no time in leaving the place they were, his form using quick strides to get away and it was no real surprise that Kiba seemed to keep up with him perfectly.

"I used to come to this Park when I was younger, with my mother and sister. Haha, I had so many good moments here and some not quite so well."

Somehow Naruto felt honoured in being invited to this park, his lips placing another smile upon them. This one, however; was different. This one caught his eyes a bit and to anyone it would be obvious with the way they sparkled. The rain had stopped but the world still seemed to keep its gloomy appearance, the clouds breaking every now and again to let soft rays of the sun to filter through. The world smelt like wet cement and wood mixing with the delicate scent of the season's flowers. Being so close to the park seemed to be an advantage for this anomaly.

There was a moment where Naruto paused in their stride, his head lifting to the sky as the sun peeked over the silver of a fluffed cloud. He lifted a hand, the fingers shielding his blue eyes as best they could before he simply chuckled, he didn't know why he was, he just did.

"Hey Kiba…"

Kiba turned, his eyes settling upon the man's form and within moments a subtle blush plagued his cheeks, is powdery rose colour making his calm features much more attractive in a way. Naruto looked so peaceful and happy there, standing in the warm glow of the suns gentle rays. There was even a moment where Kiba's eyes played a trick on him and he could swear he saw the most wondrous white wings pull from the others back in a light happy flutter.

"I feel strange…"

Naruto's jeweled eyes fell to Kiba's form and his head tilted to the side, Kiba though, looked confuse, his eyes blinking rapidly for moments and still he could see those wings. The odd feather-breasted appendages fluttering; three on the right, two on the left. With the glittering sun rays fading so did the wings and Kiba was infinitely flabbergasted.

"I feel like I know this place, but I cannot seem to remember how or even know why."

Kiba swallowed, his throat having gone dry. The lingering taste of cheese and ketchup upon his buds as he tried to find the right words to say. He was cotton mouthed. In all his years he had never seen anything more beautiful than that moment and somehow he began to think himself crazy. To think him imagining what had occurred, yet… If he learned anything from that moment it was that Naruto was someone who held worth well beyond normal words.

Naruto… he wanted Naruto to be his.

".. Uh... M-maybe you have been here… perhaps a long time ago? As… As a child maybe."

The world seemed to catch up a little and his words stumbled back; fumbling with them he seemed to stall a little in his pace. There was just something about the man; about Naruto that was just something he couldn't seem to peg.

0o0o0o0o0

"That piece of shit…" Coal hair danced within the water that was being splayed across its tips, the pale face of the man dripping with water and distain. Sai would not stand for this, he simply would not. He was more like a child not getting his way rather than a grown man with a life.

His silent temper tantrum was rather… obvious; to say the least and everyone around was sure to steer clear. It was rare for him to have them, but when he did it spelled disaster for any and all who, through unfortunate circumstance, crossed this idol's path.

Sai let his hand press against the cool surface of the mirror, his free hand palm down pressed against his face dragging along it. What was it about that… Naruto kid that made him want to just rip Kiba to shreds. It was bad enough that Naruto seemed to defy all the rules in Sai's world, spar with Sai's words, and even push every button within the man's sane mind. He did this simply with an act; something which made Sai was unable to control himself, a simple fact that could never be change. He simply existed. With that singular fact, that singular act Naruto had started to drive Sai mad.

Removing his hand from the mirrored surface he ran in through his hair, a deep frustrated sigh leaving him as he began to move back and forth pacing. "Out of all the god awful people in the world it _had_ to be that one." Where was all this frustration coming from? Naruto was just one man and yet…

Sai moved back to the sink's edge, his hands moving to rest upon them as he leaned forward staring at the sink's drain. Why did Naruto exist? Sai felt frustrated that he was letting someone he barely even knew fluster him and then Kiba. There was a sudden surge of heat that ran through his body as he grew angry and jealous, "That bastard." His hands slammed into the mirror as if he was pushing someone away or perhaps pushing himself away before his body took a 180 and he kicked in a stall door. Suffice to say he was throwing a temper tantrum and just outside the bathroom was a snickering old man, rather happy with his choice.

* * *

Im terrible I know. Please review.


	6. And so it Lurks

**Disclaimer: **I have always wondered if there was a point to these things. I am obviously not making any money off of this story. I do not own Naruto. I do own the plot.

**Summary:** Seeing in black and white wasn't so bad; at least then the world was just one big place of emptiness. The whole thing lonely where everyone could feel like him; but when a smudge of colour appears where black and white dominate how is he supposed to act? Sullen by a smear of ignorance; a defiant plain, bright, displaced orange.

**Content:** Stuff unsuitable for children.

A/N: I would really appreciate if people reviewed and gave me feedback. I know I've gotten a few faves and alerts on it but I don't know how you like it or why. I want to make my writing better and with that knowledge it'd help me out a lot. Thanks…

* * *

**"****_A smear of Orange._****"**

_Thoughts_

Words

"Speech"

* * *

**Written to:**  
**Rise Against, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Thousand foot Krutch,**  
**Ed Sheeran, Steven Conte**

"_If things look shady... grab some lemonade._"

"_My insides all turn to ash... so slow._"**  
**Linkin Park

* * *

"Do you believe that there is someone out there for everyone?"

A gentle and almost thoughtful silence would claim the air around them as they continued to walk through the crowd. He spoke again but a little more quietly this time.

"I would _like_ to believe that was true... but somehow..." He pressed a hand to his chest. "I feel it here..." A solemn look claimed his face as they both continued walking on. Neither spoke a breath of words. Neither stealing stolen glances of the others image, for there was no one beside him to begin with. The lonely image of a boy who seemed to walk in tune with him faded away and he himself merely stopped in place. The people around continued to walk past him, their happy faces making him sick, the pit of his stomach churning.

Could they not see?

"It isn't true."

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The ceiling_…_

So bland in its starkness, its white washed look that reflected nothing but a colour devoid of emotion. Did it even have the slightest inkling of how things progressed beneath it? A rather pale hand of the creamiest alabaster lifted towards the ceiling. The fingers splayed out as it reached up, as if it was silently requesting for the ceiling to reach back.

It is such an odd thing to do; to simply look at your hands.

You live for so long and see them everyday. They are always there doing tasks for their proper masters, but you never take the time to just look at them. Cerulean orbs began to trace every detail upon them. Between all the many crevices and down the many valleys_…_ They must be a sculptor's worst nightmare, but even still one of their greatest creations. So much work must have gone into the creation of the human hand.

A faint smile would crawl its way across his lips but this was not one of happiness, nor one of content. It was in his eyes that the action betrayed him.

_Sullen…_

_Lonely…_

_Lost__…_

Sitting up the man let out a soft sigh. He felt so alive and yet, at the same time so utterly dead. He stared at his hands as they rested themselves upon his thighs.

"Who am I?"

His voice rasping as he strained his throat; it usually was when he woke. Naruto had been fighting with himself for many years now and even though he was happy here he could still feel that something was missing. As if a part of him, a part of his life was gone, but isn't that always the case with amnesia?

Picking up the black and white composition notebook from his night stand he pulled it in front of him. Taking the pen he usually had hooked on to the front of it he opened it to a fresh and blank page. It took him a moment before he allowed the pen to glide across the paper.

-0-

_5/24/09_

_I tend to dream rather vividly when it matters and no matter how hard I try, I am still not fond of it. I really do not want to but I do and sometimes I know what they are about and sometimes I don't. They usually make for good short stories or even inspiration for lyrics; sometimes. Almost all the time they are either how I feel, or what I want to do. _  
_I know this one is about this deafening loneliness that clings to my every pore. _

_Even now it clings, it holds, and it strangles._

_ No matter how hard I try to be happy, I am not. I learned a long time ago that it is better to pretend everything is okay because... When you do that, no one has to worry._

_Is it selfish of me?_  
_Or am I being selfless?_

_In this four walled hell I've built myself I know that no matter how hard I bang, no matter how bloody my knuckles get... I will never be able to break them down. I always wondered why people never saw? Why they never cared enough to pay attention... but then I got older..._ _I realized why._

_I realized that no matter how hard I scream behind my eyes no one will ever truly know and in the end the images missing from my past will never be there. The tickling of them always haunting me and no matter how happy I may seem, no matter the smiles, and no matter the laughs I am still hiding. Just like back then. _

_I hid everything because it was for the best. I hide everything because it is. If I told anyone how I truly felt every day I would feel infinitely lonelier then I do at this very moment. The pain, these hollowed feeling... these are my friends. _

_I will never share my friends. Never. _

_I always wondered, during my teen years, if people who are almost like dolls existed? You read a novel and you wonder if people that seem emotionally dead exist... I wondered a lot but now I know… I know. _

_I feel like some cliché novel character, something bad happened and now they are like this, but in reality, nothing bad actually did happen and there is not much of an ending here. It isn't just about one thing in particular, it is about many things. I feel like I am lying to myself again... Who am I to say there will or will not be a decent ending to this situation? I cannot tell the future, but still deep down... _

_ I feel that I will always be this way._

_-0-_

As he put his last period on the page he closed the book, his mournful eyes lifting to the window's pane. The light had not even begun to show, something he had began to grow use to. He wondered what it would be like to actually see the sun rise. Not rise as in watching it from your window, but watching it from a place where there would be only the sky and him. Someday he planned to do that, to see the colours he had become almost obsessed with, from the highest peak on Earth. He could not understand it, that feeling he would get when he looked up at the blazing colours. He could feel he was missing something, fingering the edges of those memories, yet no matter how hard he would try he could not seem to find them.

Cerulean orbs dropped back down to his unmarred hands, sometimes he felt as if he took them for granted.

Something should be there his mind would nudge, but he was unsure as to such a spotty memory he was having a hard time figuring it out, all he could understand about it was that whatever it was happened to be very important to him. His hands fisted and fell to his side as he stood.

Another sleepless night gone passing.

Bare feet padding along the hard floor towards the bathroom as he would begin his usual routine. Washing his face, brushing his teeth; pulling down his bottom eye lid in order to make a stupid face at himself so that he could shake off the sincerity he held. Chuckling rather softly he shook his head at himself and then left the bathroom to begin to get dress. Thoughts lingered on the past he could not remember and the recent events that had begun to transpire.

He would be responsible for a new set list of songs for the band, but even with that knowledge he felt no need to rush, despite having a deadline as well.

"Hmm..."

Some time had passed and he sat with his fingers tapping idly along the side of his glass, the water moving in ripples from the light action. He was lost, lost in the thought processes of his own mind an idle smile to join his idle taps. It was often he would become like this, staring as if he was almost catatonic, his eyes shallow, unfocused.

_It_ was almost like a movie... the way it played within his mind. One foot after another, each one following the other in that typical manner. Steps, no, heavy stomps of running feet, yes, running feet. First the left, then the right, then the left; one after the other. It was like an out of body experience as his eyes watched the scene with mild curiosity. Where ever he was, who ever it was before him struck him with an odd sort of familiarity, his eyes glazing over a moment.

_A_n angel?

_W_ings of a feather-breasted white beat behind the running figure. Feathers, he assumed to be the weaker ones in the set; fell from those wings that loosely shook with each motion. Perhaps the other should be more careful, take care of himself more. The blond looked upon the other noting that this person had cascading Raven hair. He smiled faintly for no particular reason or perhaps there was a reason, one that he just could not remember.

_T_he Angelic person below bared a familiarity that he could not quite place and though he tried his hardest to remember he could not. His face moved so that it would be cradled by his forearms. The scene continued to unfold, the person reminding him of a classic Japanese beauty. Long dark hair, dark eyes, and less skin to see which equated to more; at least in his mind. He watched the other run up to another; it seemed like a reunion of some sort, mild curiosity reflecting in his eyes.

_A _wisp of blond caught his attention and his back stiffened straight. Now he was fully interested. His eyes prying into the scene, trying to gauge where he had seen that person before. He knew them, but he did not know who they were. He could see no face, but only eyes, eyes that bared such familiarity that he felt his stomach turn. Laying a hand upon his abdomen to calm it he must have stirred something because whatever he had been seeing began to ripple into nothingness. His eyes frantically searching through the rippling image in hopes that he could catch a wisp of the others face more clearly.

"No!"

The sound of his own voice brought him out of his day dream like state; warmth being placed upon his shoulder grabbed his attention immediately. Bright blues lifting to the warmth's owner to see a duller pair of blues stared back with concern.

"Are you alright, Naruto?"

Maybe it was the way his chest heaved so hard, or the way the sweat beaded upon his forehead and clung to his cold and clammy skin; perhaps it was even the way he had this slight feeling of being used, dirty. Whatever it was it urged him to cleanse himself. The feeling becoming stronger only to be pushed into the back of his mind as he replied to his father.

"I… I think I remembered something…"

Dull blues flashed some emotion unknown to him and in reply he seemed perplexed, Kakashi's smile letting him feel at ease soon after to the point where he forgot all about the look.

"I want to hear about it, what did you remember?"

Naruto turned his head from the other as he felt the warmth leave his shoulder. The sound of chair legs screeching across the bear floor as it was being pulled out and sat on fluttered to his ears. How could he explain this, "vision," to his father? Who would believe him if he started raving on about angels and familiar people that looked like classic beauties?

His eyes lifted to his fathers face and giving the man a weak smile he began to tell him a half truth.

"I saw… a man? Or maybe it was a woman. I couldn't tell. They were wearing white, all white, from the neck down and… they had black hair, it was long, almost to their butt. I don't know what was happening, but they were running, and rather fast. Like it was a reunion or something and they were happy to see someone…"

He paused a moment lifting his glass of water to his lips and taking a small sip. Somehow his throat felt dry and he needed to fix this. His fingers moving again to idly tap the side of the glass as he continued to explain.

"They ran towards someone who had blond hair… It couldn't have been me, but the person seemed so familiar. I don't understand. Kakashi… I just don't understand it…"

Kakashi let it sink in, his eyes carefully watching over Naruto with wisdom. He knew Naruto was not telling him everything, but he decided not to press the issue.

"Maybe you're not meant to understand it. At least not yet. Don't think too hard about it Naruto. Time will reveal everything to you, for now just enjoy your life."

He was never really good at this stuff, a small smile claiming his lips as he tried to assure Naruto everything would be alright. He moved a hand to the others face and patted Naruto's cheek before pinching the skin between his thumb and index finger.

"Now smile for daddy." His chuckles filled the silence in the room, Naruto's face heated as he tried to swat the others hand off of him.

"I'm not seven anymore! Jeeze!" He scowled at the other, he hated that then and he hated it now.

"Aw… but you look so adorable when you smile!" Kakashi was just messing with him, his words coming out more like baby talk then anything.

"You're a freak man!" Naruto swatted the others hands away from his face, but he smiled faintly. He did love Kakashi and he was thankful that someone cared enough to try and make him happy.

"So Naruto did you start working on those songs yet?"

"Mmm… sort of."

Kakashi sighed, "So, no then. Look Naruto you shouldn't be slacking off, it's a job and its work so you should be working."

Naruto gave a look that said, "don't-you-think-I-know-that?" though he was sure Kakashi did not pay it any heed. Wandering into the kitchen he dumped the water he had in the sink and began to wash the cup.

"I got some ideas, don't worry. You'll get 'em all on time and trust me, they'll be good. Even that freak Sai couldn't complain." He snickered faintly at the mention of Sai. Boy did he look pissed when Naruto left with Kiba.

"I meant to ask about something, can I have Kiba's number? He promised he'd help me with something."

Kakashi arched a brow at Naruto. "And you didn't get it yourself because?"

"I forgot."

"Idiot." Kakashi smiled deviously his eyes sparkling faintly with something akin to mischief. "This'll come with a price."

"If you intend to subject me to _that_ again, you're out of your mind. I'll get it from him myself."

"Aw… but _it's_ so fun!" Kakashi exaggerated, his hands lifting in the air as if to prove some sore of point.

"Yeah, for you maybe." Naruto frowned shaking his head wondering how he had the patience for this.

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-

_"Soon... Soon I will have you." _A heavy breath was let as the unknown lurker turned and left.

The sound of rustling could be heard from behind as the young man lifted his jackets collar high with a slight jump, the chill that ran down his spine was unheard of of, after all it was almost Spring! The sound of his footsteps echoed around the empty park path, he really would have to find a new way to travel to work. Fingers brushing the side of his ear before flitting into short golden hair. The feeling he got freaked him, his pace quickening. He could have sworn he felt breath on his ear, the feeling of someone watching or following him.

"Everything's fine, its nothing..."

He told himself as he rushed out of the deserted park and back to the streets towards his office. Mentally marking on his to do list to find a new shortcut instead of cutting through the park.

* * *

Thanks.


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